Dirigible airship



Feb. 27, 1940. K. P. HILBERTH 2,191,759

DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP Filed June 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 27, 1940. K. P. HILBERTH 2,191,759

' DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP Filed June 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (ww' zw @N E... E356 a Q a Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES OFFICE DIRIGIBLE Karl P. Hilberth, White plains, N. Yl, assignor of forty per cent to Samuel Steckler and twenty per cent to H White Plains, N. Y Y.

ymanf Hecker, both of Application June 25, 1937, Serial N0. 150,400

4 clai s. ,(Cl'l 244-30) air from the engine propellers may be used for vertical movements of the airship, as well as for steering.

' This may be accomplished by the provision of shiftable planes in alignment with the propeller axes, sothat the air flowing from the propellers will be directed against these planesand act thereon for moving the corresponding portion or portions of the airship up or down as may be desired, either to maintainthe stability and levelness of the airshipin flight, or for ascending or descending at an airport. The-actuation by the air currents will depend upon the positions of the planawhich must be adjusted by a pilot either together or individually, in order to maintain the desired position-of the airship or to obtain a desired movement thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide for holding theairship againstbeing blown by the wind during ascending or'descending thereof, which is accomplished by the use of anadditional motor and propeller at the stern which may be driven in an appropriate'direction to wind. The rudder hold the airship-against the is'associated also with this additional propeller so as to utilize the blasts of "air therefrom in steering the airship during its' .flight or tea desired position at the airport. In fact, bythis or? on means, the airship may be turned substantially'in a circle. Q

Still a further object of the invention is to prevent destruction of the body of the airship by a blast of air against the sides thereof, which is accomplished by the provision of fins extending lengthwise on oppositesides of'v the body of the airship in-positions to deflect the wind around the sides thereof, and prevent a side blast of air thereagainst which would act in an injurious manner thereon andvmight cause destruction of the body portion. 1

A preferred embodiment of this invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view ofan airship embodying this invention; i

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 412's a bottom plan view thereof;

F is a ra atic sid v e owinethe iplanesin positions for descending of the airship;

Fig. 6 .is a similar view with the planes in positions for ascending; and I Fig. 7 is. a diagrammatic perspective view showing the controls for the planes.

The body portion of the airship is designated 5 generally by the numeral 1 and may be of any desiredor well-known construction adapted to be filled; with gas of a character to sustain the weight of the airship. The body portion I has a cabin 2, extending lengthwise of the bottom thereof throughout approximately one-half of the length of the airshipbeing of greater length than the usual gondola, which cabin may provide suitable quarters or control rooms, and by having these below the bottom of the airship instead of withinthe same, the weight is more nearly stabilized, Any desired arrangement of supporting wheels 3 may be used for sustaining the airship on the ground.

Theairship is propelled by engines 4 and 5, of any .desired type, for operating propellers 6 and 1, which engines are of the reversible type and, are mounted atiopposite sides of the airship at the bottom thereof instead of being disposed at the bottom or adjacent the bottom in the arrangement usually provided. I Mountedon shafts 8 and 9, extending transversely of the body portion I and journaled therein for turning movement, are planes I0 and H on opposite sides of the airship. The planes I0 are mounted in front of the engines 4 and the planes ll are mounted behind said engines, and the turning axes of said planes It) and Il are in horizontal alignment with the axes of the propellers B. A set of planes I2 is also mounted at the rear of the airship on a shaft l3, extending transversely of the airship and journaled in the body thereof for turning movement about an axis, which is arranged in the same, horizontal plane as the axes of the propellers -l.

The shafts 8, '9 and l3'are designed to be rotated for turning-thejplanes to desired posi- 1 tions by suitable means, such as cables l4 extending to levers l5, pivoted in positions for manipulation by a pilot for individual control of the planes as may be desired to maintain the proper position of the airship in flight or for ascending or descending. The same pilot should have control over the engines 4 and 5 for actu 5 at the rear of, the airship beneathv the bottom the airship with a propeller I9, immediately in front of the rudder I6 and having its axis intersecting thevertical pivotalaxis of the rudder.

In this way, the operation of the engine I8 causes the propeller If to direct a blast of air against the rudder I6, when turned to an angular position to assist in steering the airship in flight, and by this means the airship may be turned completely around in a circle or turned in such directions as may be desired, even when not in flight. The

engine I8 may be operated also to hold the 'air ship against the wind when ascending or de-' scending toprevent its drifting or being blown out of its position during such vertical movement or to hold it in a steady position over a desired;

point.

Extending lengthwise-along opposite sides of the body portion I are horizontal fins 20, each of which is approximately triangular in cross section, as shown in Fig. 2. These fins extend approximately throughout the length of the body portion, one on each side, and are arranged at the middle of said body portion in order to deflect wind blowing thereagainst around the sides of said body portion to prevent a strong blast of wind directly against the side which might cause serious injury thereto. These fins 20 not only serve as wind breakers, but they also serve to reinforce the body portion I lengthwise thereof, and to provide additional .gas chambers for increased lifting power.

The parts' are shown in Fig. 1 in their normal positions during flight, in which the engines 4 and 5 are rotating the propellers 6 and I for propelling the ship forward. In this figure, all of the planes II], II and I2 are arranged horizontally, the propellers then serving merely to propel the airship through the air. Whenever it is necessary to increase the lift .of the airship over that provided by the gas containeditherein, this may be accomplished by tilting the planes II and I2 to'the positions shown in Fig. 3, where the blast of air from the propellers 6 and" I aredirected against the undersides of these planes with sufficient force to increase the liftof the airshipover that normally provided by the atmosphere. By increasing the tilt of the planes I I and I2, the airship may rise during its travel .and thereby attain a, greater elevation, or these planes may be shifted to the opposite positions where the blasts of air from the propellers are directed against the upper sides of the planes and thereby causes a descending of the airship in the course of its flight.

Due to variations in air and wind, it will be necessary for the pilot to shift the planes I I and I2 to different positions, and with respect to each other in order to maintain the airship on an even course andin a horizontal position, either raising or lowering the entire airship or either end thereof with respect to the other. The pilot also controls the rudder IE to maintain the direction of flight whichmay be used alone. or in connection with they engine I8 driven in a direction to direct its flight and to descend, as, for instance, at an.

airport, it will only be necessary for the pilot to shift the planes II- to horizontal positions, to shift theplanes all) .to the tilted positions shown in Fig. 5, and to reverse the engines v4, (all of I the engines 4 and 5 and I8 being of the reversible type) so as tooperate the propellers B to direct blasts of air against the upper sidesof the planes Ill as opposed to the air blast action of the propellers 1, against the upper sides of the rear planes I2 which are also in the positions shown .in Fig. 5, being turned thereto, if necessary. In this way,'the flight of the airship may bestopped and lowered to the ground, during which lowering movement, the engine It may be operated in a direction tending to hold the airship against the wind and against travel in the air. For ascending, the planes III-and I2 are shifted to the positionsshown in Fig. 6, where the propellers 6 and I directblasts of air against the underside there-- of with sufficient velocity to apply lifting pressure to the airship at opposite ends, and the engine I8 may be operated also at this time, if

desired. The engine I 8 may be driven in a. forward diof the airship, it acts together with the rear engines 5 .tordirect the flow of air therealong with fact, theairship can be landed by its own power or manipulated intoa hanger.

I claim: 1

'1. In an airship, :the cornbination of a body portion, -power plants arranged at forward, and

rection'during flight of the airship to assist in its propulsiombutv by being placed under the bottom rearward portions of said'body portion and having propellers so -constructed and arranged as to act respectively in .opposite directions at the forward and rearwardportions of the body portion, and planes arranged adjacent the propellers in positions for action of the propellers toward said planes, and means mounting each plane for turning .movement about-a transverse axis approximately intersecting the axis of rotation of the adjacent propeller and said plane being 'ar ranged with the propeller. axis extending approximately'through the mid portion thereof.

an airship, the' combination of an elon gated lighter than airbody portion, powerplants varrange'd.(at forward and rearward portions of saidbodyport'ion on each opposite side thereof and spacedapart a substantial distance, said power plants having propellers connected there- I I with and so constructed andarrangedas to act respectively in opposite directions at the forward and rearwardportions of each side of the body portions, .a pair .of planes arranged at the front and rear of each forwardpowerplant in relative-,

1y close relation thereto and a plane adjacent the propeller of .therearward power plant, means mounting .said planes 1 or turningmovement about .transverse axesintersecting the longitudinal axes of the respective propellers, and means for ad 'justing the respective planes on each :s'ide of the body portion independently of each other for turning movement to different angularposi- :tions, whereby the propellers may be turned to angular positions relative to the air movement for elevating or lowering the airship or holding respectively in opposite directions, whereby the propellers may be turned to angular positions relative to the air movement for elevating or lowering the airship or holding the same in'fiight at the forward and rearward portions, a pair ofv planes arranged at the front and rear of each forward power plant in relatively close relation thereto and a plane adjacent the propeller of the rearward power plant, means mounting said planes for turning movement about transverse axes intersecting the longitudinal axes of the respective propellers, each plane extending transversely equi-distanc-es on opposite sides of the propeller axis thereof, the planes on opposite sides of the body portion being in axial alignment, and means for adjusting the respective sets of planes on opposite sides of the body portion independently of other sets thereof for turning movement to different angular positions.

4. In an airship, the combination of an elongated lighter-than-air body, power plants on said body and arranged at the forward and rearward portions thereof at each opposite side thereof with the forward and rearward power plants spaced apart a substantial distance, each power plant having a propeller at one end thereof, the forward and rearward power plants having the propellers thereof facing respectively forwardly and I rearwardly of the airship and operating in opposite directions, a plane mounted on the body at each side thereof forwardly of the forward power plant propeller, a second plane mounted on the body at-each side thereof rearwardly of the rearward power plant, said planes being arranged at the same ends of the respective power plants as the propellers thereof and in close relation to the propellers, means mounting said planes on the body' for turning movement about axes extending transversely thereof and approximately intersecting the axes of the propellers, and means for'adjusting the respective planes on each side of the KARL P. I-IILBERTH. 25 

